Sharlayan Dropouts: A Final Fantasy XIV Podcast (Victor Hunter, Nadia Oxford, Mike Williams)

Hop on the airship back to your hometown and listen to your favorite Final Fantasy XIV podcast, now on the free feed! The Dropouts bring a very special guest to family dinner, author of Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher, to discuss the impact FFXIV has had on the JRPG and MMO genres over the years. Plus it’s the first annual Holiday Gift Guide; our hosts give you the perfect gift ideas at any budget for the FFXIV fan in your life. And stick around for a very special segment that will no doubt be a recurring fan-favourite for years to come… SPOILER LEVEL GREEN: Rest easy, slowpokes, there’s not a spoiler to be found for malms. A perfect episode to jump into regardless of where you’re at in your journey!

Kick back and relax as Field Studies returns for a guided audio commentary track through fan-favourite Shadowbringers dungeon, The Twinning. Sharlayan Dropouts host Victor Hunter takes you through the history of the Crystal Tower, the cascading effect that delays in the mid-2000s had on Square that are still being felt today, and the crystalline metaphor at the heart of this tragic-but-hopeful tale. Spoiler level: Yellow. The Twinning quest is available at the conclusion of Shadowbringers. Music: A Long Fall - Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers Full Speed Ahead - Final Fantasy XIII Eternal Wind - Lightning Returns

Put on your Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts because it’s tourist season in Eorzea! In this episode of Sharlayan Dropouts we’re taking you on a guided tour. Either listen as a standalone episode or follow along in-game for the Ultimate Immersive Gameplay X-perience!™ This month we’re looking at the tragic history of The Lost City of Amdapor and the brain fungus, abstract liminal spaces, and fun facts about the Tokyo Metropolitan Government that await us there. Spoiler Level Green: Assuming you’ve made it the point where you can enter The Lost City of Amdapor (lvl 50) then you have nothing to fear but toxoplasmosis.

Our first steps into Tural are fast approaching and the official benchmark is here to whet our appetites. Victor, Nadia, and Mike discuss the 14-hour livestream, what the graphics update has done to our Warriors of Light, the many exciting teases in the benchmark trailer, and more on this episode of a very good Final Fantasy XIV podcast. Also: - Stranger of Paradise was really good - A tribe consisting entirely of Rob Paulsens - The Archons play Who's That Minion? (name pending) Music In This Episode: Dawntrail Benchmark BGM

The wait for Dawntrail continues but to tide us all over the talented Sena Bryer (the voice of Wuk Lamat herself!) stops by Dropouts HQ to talk about her experience as both a fan and cast member of Final Fantasy XIV. We discuss the excitement in the lead up to her Fan Fest reveal, her ongoing pacifist run of FFXIV, the 1.0 days, her history with FFXI, and more on this very special episode of Sharlayan Dropouts!

"It's always darkest before the dawn" is a phrase I've personally never understood. That's just not how the sky works; it very obviously gets lighter and lighter until the moment dawn breaks. Well whatever. Not only is it not XIV's darkest hour before Dawntrail, it's quite lovely! Plenty of in-game events have been keeping us busy but most important is the real-world media tour that just happened in North America and Europe. With that comes lots of interviews, previews, and reveals so Victor and Nadia are here to talk you through as much of it as we've been able to process! Music In This Episode Tuliyollal Theme (Day) - Dawntrail Tuliyollal Theme (Night) - Dawntrail

Hello, Dropouts. It's just Nadia today, and the gods know she's not smart enough to keep the students warm, fed, and entertained. She can, however, talk to the masses about the art of writing Final Fantasy XIV fanfiction. Plus, she provides tricks and tips for developing your Warrior of Light's "home map" so that it becomes a world unto itself--not just a mere collection of loose landmarks! Music Used in This Episode: Shadowbringers theme (FFXIV) Crush Crawfish's Stage (Mega Man X3) Serenity (FFXIV) The Dark Star (Secret of Mana) Wailers and Waterwheels (FFXIV) Dedicated to Moonlight (FFXIV) A Land Long Dead (FFXIV) Spoiler Level Alert: Green No major story spoilers, just fanfic talk!

Ahoy there Dropouts, and welcome to a lengthy in-depth study about Final Fantasy IV's influence on Final Fantasy XIV! Final Fantasy IV first came to the Super Famicom in 1991, and is still regarded as Final Fantasy's first instance of getting deep into narrative. Unsurprisingly, many of the characters, locales, monsters, and lore Final Fantasy IV introduced us to has been given ample representation in Final Fantasy XIV. Black Chocobos! The Dragoon Pose!™ Troia! Tall men in black armour! And gee Zero, how come Hydelin lets you have TWO moons? Nadia, Victor, and Marc Duddleson from My Life in Gaming tally up the references. Music Used in this Episode: Zeromus Phase 2: The Red Wings [Final Fantasy XIV] Baron Kingdom/The Lunar Subterrain [Final Fantasy XIV] Another Moon [Final Fantasy XIV] Forged in Crimson [Final Fantasy XIV] Spoiler Level: Red. We talk about all the story content in the game up through the end of 6.x!

Love it or hate it, it's once again the time of year where the Dropouts directly and indirectly reveal way too much about themselves for the sake of a ridiculous Top 12 list. In what will surely be a strong contender for "Episode of a Final Fantasy Podcast Where The Hosts Make Up The Most Euphemisms For Doing it", Victor, Nadia, Mike, and Eric assemble the sexiest roster of FFXIV NPCs to duke it out for the prestigious title of Etheirys' Most Bankable Slampiece. Don't tell your girlfriend about this thirsty, deeply unpleasant, X-rated episode of Sharlayan Dropouts! You won't last 30 seconds!

You got your Final Fantasy XI in my Final Fantasy XIV! Get ready to shout chat and learn Red Mage as we start our journey through the completely different game that is Eureka. References to FFV and FFXI abound, getting from point A to point B has never been more treacherous, and Victor finds another chance to monologue about loading zones. Hopefully this episode will ease the pain of the grind, even just a little. Music used in this episode: “Ronfaure” from Final Fantasy XI - NaNaa Mihgo’s - Stolen Hearts

Lali-ho all you dropouts, troublemakers, and ne'er-do-wells! It's me, Nadia, Sharlayan's worst academic. What do bad academics do when they're supposed to be studying? Listen to music, of course. That's what today is all about. Since Vic is out of town for a little while, I thought I'd do a solo episode that explores some of the best songs FFXIV treated us to in 2023. Epic raids! Epic bosses! Love goddesses that look like Hatsune Mikune! Oh, forgive me Lady Menphina. Don't strike me down with crotch rot. Have I mentioned your dog is awesome?

It's Part V of our ongoing retrospective and that means it's morphin' time! Join Victor, Nadia, and special guest Sena Bryer (Wuk Lamat) as they explore the perfection of the Job System, our favourite "ladies who dress like men", and what clues might be in plain sight for the future of FFXIV. All while strictly maintaining the integrity of non-disclosure agreements! Music In This Episode: The Day Will Come - Endwalker Clash on the Big Bridge - Sekizima Takeo The Battle - Final Fantasy V OST Pirates Ahoy - Final Fantasy V OST Clash on the Big Bridge - Ryu Kawamura Further Reading: Final Fantasy V - Chris Kohler https://bossfightbooks.com/products/final-fantasy-v-by-chris-kohler Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Special Interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B-iw8qhZbQ AGDQ 2024 - Final Fantasy V Speedrun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amyuJjTe5gk

Part 2 of our 16-ish-month-long series is here! There's no shortage of people who claim II is The Worst One so the Dropouts are here to tell you why they're wrong. Victor is joined by special guest Christa Lee to discuss Dragoons, Dark Knights, Despots, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Does Final Fantasy II get enough credit for the major influences it had on Final Fantasy XIV and the Final Fantasy series going forward? You can probably guess that it does not! So let's give it some! Also let's go on tangents about FFXI and early Japanese PC adventure games! Music In This Episode: Rebel Army - [Final Fantasy II] Battle Theme 1.x - [Final Fantasy XIV]

It's here and it has a horn section. Join Nadia, Victor, and Mike as they dive into the first hours of Dawntrail up until the first Trial. Hear all about the zones, dungeons, characters, why some are calling it Stormblood 2.0, and why that's actually a compliment. Topics: Wuk Lamat, yay or nay? Zone pacing Why we'll never get another In From the Cold, probably That's Jazz, baby We're getting so close to Fantasy Canada we can taste it And more! Music Tuliyollal (Day)

It’s the episode you’ve all been waiting for! FF4 has never been more relevant and we’re delighted to welcome a guest that couldn’t be better suited to the subject; FF loremaster, archivist, and all-round wonderful guy, Anonymoose. We talk all things Zero, the moon, and masked men with plans to move a whole lot of undead souls from one plane to another. This is an absolute must-listen for all FF4 fans or for those of you who might want a bit more insight into what FF4 is bringing to the current FF landscape. Spoiler Level: Yellow It would help to be caught up but we talk more about the game’s influences and inspirations rather than actual plot detail.

If Final Fantasy XIV is a theme park then that means Mount Gulg is the Matterhorn, Matoya's Cave is It's A Small World, and Elidibus is someone wearing Mickey Mouse's skin! This all makes sense to me and it might even make sense to you after you listen to this episode! Victor, Nadia, and special guest Ash Paulsen talk all about the many many allusions in Final Fantasy XIV to the game that started it all; Final Fantasy. Choose your four favourite jobs and your four favourite four-letter words because we're going to the beginning and discussing how the original FF is still deeply important to understanding FFXIV, from 1.0 all the way to Dawntrail. Shadowbringers Spoilers: Rougly 1:11:00 - 1:19:00 Music In This Episode: Opening Theme - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

We hurl halibut and homilize halitosis but by The Twelve we look good doing it on this episode of Sharlayan Dropouts. It’s all things Blue Mage this week with your hosts Victor Hunter, Nadia Oxford, and special guest Eric Van Allen. Where did the Blue Mage originate? What’s the appeal of its innately masochistic mechanics? And what does the future of Blue Mage look like for Final Fantasy XIV? We talk about all that and more including out hopes for The New World, breaking systems over your knee, and Blue Mage Fortnite! Spoiler Level Blue: And not just Level Blue for obvious reasons. I’m honestly insulted you’d think I’d make a joke that predictable. No, this episode is basically spoiler-free besides some early Blue Mage Job Quests and some discussion about elements we hope to see in later expansions. Unless I forgot something. In which case, sorry.

Fans of Ivalice, the history of visual novels, and the works of Jean-Luc Godard might just find something to sink their teeth into this episode. Victor explores the many twists and turns in the surprisingly robust history behind Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s Summoner weapon, The Veil of Wiyu in this first episode of a recurring series that aims to shed light on the real-world inspirations behind the weaponry of Final Fantasy XIV. If you want to see more dedicated episodes like this be sure to let us know at @SharlayanPod or @BloodGodPod on Twitter or on the official Axe of the Blood God Discord server available to $1 subscribers at patreon.com/bloodgodpod. SPOILER LEVEL GREEN: Not a spoiler to be seen. A few references to some contextless plot details for various games in the series but nothing to keep you from enjoying this episode regardless of where you are in your journey.Music: Down the Up Staircase - Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Save / Load Screen - Final Fantasy Tactics Protagonist’s Theme - Final Fantasy Tactics Trisection - Final Fantasy Tactics Not Alone Jazz Arrangement - JAZZ - FINAL FANTASY - Fear After - Final Fantasy Tactics Green Eyed Love - Mayer Hawthorne James Bond Theme (From Dr. No) - Monty Norman Under the Imperial Flag - Sakura Wars 3 I feel like I’ve heard that one before - Final Fantasy Tactics Sources: Marathon Gaming Retrospectives - https://tinyurl.com/y5evjjbt Final Fantasy Wiki - Sound Novels - Oeilvert - https://tinyurl.com/ze3zd8vx Hardcore Gaming 101 - The Tale of Oeilvert - https://tinyurl.com/2p9mrzb7 FFT Sound Novel Let’s Play by Nekomakine - https://tinyurl.com/msnvnupe

It's the beginning of the end! Or rather the end of Endwalker which was the end of the beginning, which is ending after this beginning ends and it's ending begins. Archons Nadia Oxford and Victor Hunter take you through the most important information to come out of the recent Live Letter from the Tokyo Game Show floor to get you prepped for Patch 6.5 Growing Light. New mounts, more Zero, and snarky comments to landlords make this a must-listen episode for anyone looking forward to the final major patch of 2023!

With Dawntrail's MSQ wrapped up it's time to get back to bees-ness as usual. The Arcadion has re-opened, spirits stir in a lost pocket dimension, and some sabotender's need a wranglin'. Victor, Nadia, and Mike discuss the usual side-quests to be found at the end of an expansion and what their routines look like now that we've transitioned into end-game mode. Plus, FFXIV TTRPG news, more bubble tea, and why sometimes XIV music ISN'T as good as it could be. GASP! All this and more on this week's episode of Sharlayan Dropouts! And if you're listening to this on the paid feed, do us a favour and subscribe to the free feed as well and rate and review us while you're there. It means a ton. And if you're listening to this on the FREE feed, head on over to https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and get yourself some ad-free episodes plus a ton of bonus episodes as well as discord access to join our amazing community of XIV players! Music Bee My Honey It's Showtime!

It’s the battle of the babes this month on Sharlayan Dropouts as we go wall-to-wall to figure out which hotties buff our hosts to max potency. That’s right, we’re ranking the Top 12 stone foxes, the veritable mamacitas, of Final Fantasy XIV. Listen as Victor Hunter, Nadia Oxford, Mike Williams, and Eric Van Allen tell on themselves for your enjoyment. Find out if your favs made the list! And if they didn’t, head on over to patreon.com/bloodgodpod to get Discord access and yell at us about it there! Spoiler Level Orange: This is a scattershot discussion that touches upon a few elements from a several different storylines including Endwalker 6.3 and Save the Queen, though light on actual detail and context.

For ad-free episodes and bonus episodes head to https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod From deep in the rainforests of Yak T'el, to the trains and plains of Shaaloani, to the perplexingly sci-fi corridors of Vanguard, we're covering it all on this week's episode of Sharlayan Dropouts. Victor, Nadia, and Mike are all well past the halfway point of Dawntrail's story and they can't wait to discuss everything we've seen so far. We'll be covering Trial 1, Dungeons 3 and 4, up until the beginning of Zone 5, so prepare to enter some Spoiler Country. Music: Tuliyollal Day Theme Shaaloani Day Theme

Stock up on shuriken because this episode is all about the hugely influential (if only in Japan) Final Fantasy III. And the fact we don't even mention the naming differences between FFIII for SNES vs. FFVI vs. the ACTUAL FFIII means maybe the world has moved on! Join Archons Victor Hunter, Nadia Oxford, and special guest Retro Ali as we take a deep dive into the Crystal Tower, the Warriors of Darkness, Eureka, and more! Music in this Episode: Battle 2 - [Final Fantasy III] Battle 2 - [Final Fantasy III - Four Souls -] Shattered - [Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn] The Reach of Darkness - [Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn] Eternal Wind - [Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn]

Good morning Dropouts. I hope every single one of you skipped out on your education to stream the 2023 Fanfest at London. The event brought as much FFXIV-related merriment as you'd expect, but the real meat of the show (aside from the thicc monster-meat steaks being grilled up by the Mamool Ja) was the new Dawntrail trailer and the new job reveal: Viper. Oh, and there was news about the next Alliance raid being based in the world of Final Fantasy XI. Rest assured, Victor has things to say about it. Actually, we all have a lot of things to say, so slip this tape into your Sony Walkman and turn it up when your teacher turns her back.  Spoiler Warning Level: Yellow. Past game content comes into our discussions about Dawntrail, but we don't focus on any story specifics. 

The Fan Fest cycle has come to a close but that just means the Dawntrail hype is kicking into 4th gear as Summer(?) 2024 gets closer and closer. Tokyo Fan Fest 2024 was full of exciting announcements; Pictomancer, Female Hrothgar, Echoes of Vana'diel, and more! And to kick off the New Year we have a very special guest, Double Fine's own Harper Jay, to join Victor, Nadia, and Mike on the panel. And remember that Sharlayan Dropouts has moved to a WEEKLY format so if you're listening on the free feed you're only getting half the story. Head over to patreon.com/bloodgodpod to hear all the Dropouts you've been missing out on and be sure to join us on the Discord for all kinds of community events and discussion. Ending Music for this Episode: Mithra - [Final Fantasy XI]

Turns out people like talking about their Warriors of Light! A lot! But what makes the WoL such a compelling avatar/character/actor in a genre not known for its interesting player characters? Hosts Victor Hunter, Nadia Oxford, Mike Williams, and Eric Van Allen discuss how they feel about their Eorzean proxy and what that means for roleplay as well as FFXIV’s ambitious narrative. We also get a chance to feature some comments from our wonderful Discord community. Spoiler Level - Orange: Some revelations from late in Shadowbringers are alluded to, as well as the backstory of the Warrior of Light. Music: “Opening Theme” - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

If you missed our annual Axe of the Blood God Charity Livestream now is your chance to catch up on our initial impressions of all the exciting news that came out of Las Vegas Fan Fest 2023! New World, new console, new para-dye-gm. Plus, we have to stop talkin' TMNT on SD.

Victor, Nadia, and Eric cover Zone 5 through to the end of the 7.0 MSQ. THIS IS YOUR SPOILER WARNING. Does Sphene work as a character? Is the climax climactic enough? And where do we go from here? They also discuss recent Interviews with Yoshi-P at Japan Expo, how best to enjoy bubble tea, and why the amount of experience we get during MSQ is actually just FINE. Music Tuliyollal Day Shaaloani Day

Just in time for 48-hour maintenance, say goodbye to Endwalker and hello to your new dad, Dawntrail! In this prediction-packed episode Nadia and Victor stake their claim on what MIGHT happen in Dawntrail's story. They also take predictions submitted by the community and spike them directly into the dirt. Plus, exciting news from the preliminary patch notes! Get hype! Music In This Episode Tuliyollal Theme (Day) - Dawntrail Tuliyollal Theme (Night) - Dawntrail